Comfortable and in the mix
Anthony part of the open competition for third LB spot
DAVIE — It hasn’t been a glamorous four years for Stephone Anthony in the NFL.
Since being drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 31st pick in the 2015 NFL draft and leading the Saints in tackles his rookie season, the fourthyear linebacker has experienced a demotion, a position change, a stint on injured reserve, a midseason trade to the Miami Dolphins, and is on the brink of another season scrambling for playing time and a roster spot.
Despite it all, Anthony has another chance to seize a starting role this season.
“I think whenever the opportunity comes or whatever opportunity is presented to me, it’s my job to take advantage of it,” Anthony said at the conclusion of Monday’s organized team activities practice. “So whatever it is, whether the coach needs me to play 100 plays or 15 plays, it’s my job to get it done.”
The Dolphins need to find a third linebacker to handle snaps as one of two outside linebackers. With Raekwon McMillan and Kiko Alonso likely holding down two of the three starting linebacker spots, Miami’s holding an open audition for that third spot, seeking a replacement for Lawrence Timmons, who was released this offseason.
Anthony said that he’s been rotating between first- and second-team repetitions this spring. He mentioned Terence Garvin, an offseason free-agent addition, and Jerome Baker, the Dolphins’ 2018 third-round pick, as the linebackers who are also in that mix. But Anthony has more starts than those two players combined.
Defensive coordinator Matt Burke started using Anthony in his nickel and base package late last season, once Anthony got a handle on Miami’s defense.
“He earned it by the same way all guys earn it. He’s been working hard,” Burke said. “Again, it’s always difficult, I think, to come in the middle of the season, come from a different scheme and pick things up. Again, obviously, we had some injury issues last year and some other things at that position, which kind of sped that process up; but he works really hard. He works really, really hard.”
That transition Burke talked about was more than just on the field. After being traded, Anthony stayed in a hotel for a few weeks before he finally got settled into his house.
It’s no coincidence that his settling in outside of football coincided with his uptick in playing time last season and his seeming front-runner status as the third starting linebacker this season.
“I was probably in a hotel for three or four weeks and then finally got settled after that somewhere towards the end of the season, and it just came together for me,” Anthony said. “I know where home is. I know where the bathroom is, right around the corner. It’s a lot better.”
There’s no denying that Anthony’s first four seasons in the league have given him some perspective.
Anthony says he understands the business side of football a little bit better. He says he’s had a chance to learn the defense more thoroughly. And he’s optimistic about the defensive players around him, because he says they’ll come with “a lot more energy.”
Yet with all that’s behind him, Anthony emphasized looking forward throughout his time at the podium Monday, both as a team and individually.
Looking forward means some time off in the immediate future. After OTAs end this week, Anthony plans on heading back to his home in Charlotte to see his daughter, Skylar, who will turn 5 next month. After that, the position battle for the third linebacker spot continues.
For that part, he’s got some improvements in mind. Anthony says he’s worked on staying in shape, getting a little bigger and keeping his reflexes sharp.
The difference for Anthony may simply be his comfortability and familiarity. As far as if he thinks those things will result in a bigger impact this season, Anthony answered carefully.
“I guess that time will tell.”
mpersak@ sun-sentinel.com, 954-425-1955 or Twitter @MikeDPersak